Switch with special junction block connection



July 12, 1955 H. HUBBELL 2,713,082

SWITCH WITH SPECIAL JUNCTION BLOCK CONNECTION Filed June 16, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l z 25 S 24- S 3 27 E Ihwenfor Bu $4M W Mu )%M (Ittornegs H. HUBBELL July 12, 1955 SWITCH WITH SPECIAL JUNCTION BLOCK CONNECTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 16, 1950 ZOCk Em FM W a w Imventor United States Patent SWETCH WKTH SPECIAL JUNCTION BLOCK CONNECTION Harvey Hubhell, Long Hill, Conn.

Application June 16, 1950, Serial No. 168,532

4 Claims. (Cl. 17453) This invention relates to electric house wiring devices, especially to a switch with special junction block connections, and is herein described for the purpose of disclosure in connection with a switch box, although it will be apparent that the invention is equally well adapted to use with wall and outlet boxes of other types.

Frequently in installing house wiring systems, for example, line wires are led into an outlet box or switch box and merely pass through without being connected to the switch or other fixture mounted in the box, as for example, with only a single pole switch, or one-way switch.

Heretofore it has been generally customary to connect such wires together by splicing and taping the ends, sometimes employing solder to make a good connection. Thereupon the taped wires were stuffed into the associated box, frequently so filling the latter as to make it difficult to get them in and requiring that they be twisted into various shapes in order to stuff them into place. All this requires an unwarranted amount of time to insure a good connection being made and properly insulated so there is no danger of grounding on the box when stuffed into place. Such devices as have been made to overcome this difficulty in making a through connection have been unsatisfactory for various reasons.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved connecting means for use in junction blocks of different types constructed and arranged to simplify and improve the making of through connections.

A further object is to provide a junction block having an improved arrangement whereby a through connection may be made and the wires carried through the switch box merely by connecting the line wires to binding screws, and without requiring that they be twisted, soldered or taped.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, I have devised the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification. It is, however, to be understood the invention is not limited to the specific details of construction and arrangement shown, but may embody various changes and modifications within the scope of the invention.

In these drawings:

Fig. l is a top plan view of a switch box and associated switch having a connecting device constructed in accordance with one embodiment of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the device shown in Fig. 1, showing the switch and connecting device in side elevation;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section therethrough showing the switch and connecting device in end elevation;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through a switch box and switch having a connecting device constructed in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan of the switch shown in Fig. 4, with the switch box in section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, and

Z,7l3,ll82 Patented July 12, 1955 ice Fig. 6 is a partial section through one connecting device forming a part of the embodiment of Fig. 4.

Both embodiments of the invention which are illusirated in the drawings are shown in connection with a switch box 11 and associated switch, but it will be apparent that the invention is not limited to use with such boxes, but may be employed with a wide variety of fixtures including wall outlet boxes. The illustrated box 11 is shown in the drawings in connection with a house wiring system having BX cables l2, 13 connected to the box 11, and the invention provides an improved device for connecting the wires 14, 15 of one cable 12, for example, to the wires 16, 17 of the other cable 13 which enters the other side of the box 11.

As illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a switch 13 is supported on a yoke 19 having the usual mounting ears or lugs 21 secured to end flanges 22 on the box by any suitable means, such, for example, as the screws 211:. As shown in Fig. l, the yoke 19 is widened adjacent the switch, as shown at 20, and side flanges 23 on the widened portion extend inwardly into the box in spaced relation to the switch body 18a. A plate 24 of insulating material such, forexample, as Micarta or the like, is secured to each flange 23 by rivets 25 or other fastening me as. A current conducting contact bar 26 is secured to each insulating plate 24 in any desired manner, as by rivets 26a, and one or more binding screws 27 are threaded into each end of each contact strip, whereby a through connection between either or both of the wires 14, it? of one cable 12 and either or both of the wires 16, 1'? of the other cable 13, can be easily and quickly made merely by securing the respective wires to the adjacent bin screws 27. This eliminates all need of splicing the i and taping, while at the same time anchoring the ends of the wires in the box by anchoring them to the switch or other fixture. If any wire is to be connected to the switch, it can be done in the usual manner (not shown) by a short wire, for example, extending between and connected to a binding screw 27 and a binding screw 18b (Fig. 3) connected to one of the switch contacts (not shown) mounted in the insulated body 18a of the swi ch.

Another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, in which one or more L-shaped contact bars 31 are mounted directly on the switch body 32 in recesses 33 formed in this body, the switch body 32 being of insulating material. As shown in Fig. 6, each bar is secured in place in the associated recess by a bolt 34 extending downwardly through the insulating body 32 of the switch with the bolt head 35 seating in a recess 36 in the top of the switch body 32, and a threaded end 37 threaded to the lower arm 38 of the bar 31. The bolt head may be insulated by covering it and filling the recess 36 with the usual wax. Each bar has a pair of binding screws threaded into the side arm 11 thereof. They are, however, not limited to two, as one or more may be used. A through Connection can be made between any two line wires, as above described, by merely connecting the stripped ends thereof to the binding screws 39 on one of the bars 31.

The current conducting bars 26, 31 in each embodiment provide a through connecting means which need form no part of the circuit of the associated switch or other fixture, but from which electrical connections may be made to the switch or other fixture if desired. No splicing, soldering or taping is required and the difliculty of stufiing taped connections into the limited confines of the associated box is avoided. The detailed structure of the invention can be variously modified and adapted within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, 1 claim:

1.An electric fitting comprising in combination, a

fixture box, an electric fixture mounted in said box, a fixture-supporting yoke connected thereto, a flange on said yoke extending longitudinally thereof and extending into said box, means securing said yoke to said box, junction means adapted to provide a through connection between separate lead wires extending into said box, including a plate of insulating material mounted on said flange to form a part thereof, a current-conducting contact bar mounted on said insulating plate, and binding screws to connect said wires to said bar to complete a through connection between said wires through said bar,

2. An electric fitting comprising in combination,a fixture box, an electric fixture mounted in said box, a fixture-supporting yoke connected thereto, a separate flange extending longitudinally along each side of said yoke and arranged to be positioned within said box when said yoke is connected thereto, means securing said yoke to said box, junction means adapted to provide a through connection between separate lead wires extending ,into said box, including a plate of insulating material mounted on each of said flanges to form a part thereof, a currentconducting contact bar mounted on said insulating plate, and binding screws on each of said bars to connect said wires to said bar to complete a through connection be tween said wires through said bar.

3. An electric fitting comprising in combination, a fixture box, a fixture supporting yoke secured to the box, an electric fixture mounted in the box and connected to and supported by the yoke, junction means to provide a through connection between separate lead wires extending into the box including a plate of insulating material mounted on said yoke and extending into the box at one side of the fixture, a current conducting bar mounted on said plate, and means on said bar to connect said wires to the bar to complete a through connection between said wires.

4. An electric fitting comprising an electric fixture including an insulating body member, a mounting yoke for the fixture comprising a metal bar having mounting ears for securing it to a wall box to mount the fixture therein, said yoke being provided with a longitudinal angular flange along one edge located adjacent and at one side of the body member, an insulating plate secured to said flange and projecting from the free edge thereof, a current conducting bar mounted on said plate, and a plurality of means on the bar for connecting a plurality of lead wires thereto to complete a through connection between said wires.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Hallstrom Dec. 3, 1918 Smith Dec. 8, 1936 Hines Oct. 25, 1938 in Division 65.) 

